She said that lyrical content was predominantly inspired by "our son and daughter being older teenagers, which can mean possibility and hope for them but also the sadness of separation and my changing role as a mom, and the intensified awareness of the preciousness of life.

And the [word] 'bus' may have come about because of the guitar rhythm I was playing, which maybe has a circular motion, but also just of the idea of a quiet place to view the city from, and to think one's thoughts and decide where to go next."

It was nice to be able to go back to that song and add the piano, pump organ and other things to make the interludes bigger, but to keep the verse as having all the space around Don's electric guitar part."

[7] Sun on the Square is their first release issued on Bella Union: a British independent record label founded by former Cocteau Twins guitarist and keyboardist Simon Raymonde.

[20] In November, they performed two of the aforementioned songs – as well as "Tomorrow on the Runway", from 2003's Befriended – during a feature for NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts series.

[22] Several publications praised the quality of the production, including Rock'n'Reel, which said: "There's not a note out of place amid the album's beautifully crafted ethereal sadness.

All told, the album feels like a hand-crafted work of art, put together carefully by its creators, charmingly imperfect but much preferred over a mass-produced piece with no stitch out of place, and no soul to match.

[30] London in Stereo called Sun on the Square a "stunning collection of beautifully vulnerable folk songs, ... thanks to typically subtle picking and increasingly orchestrated and gently cinematic accompaniment.

Peris’ effortless storytelling once again plays centre stage, weaving through bucolic scenes, touching on love and loss yet always maintaining a blissful hope that ensures the record has the moments of sun its title suggests.

[They spin] a web of winsome beauty ... [Sun on the Square is] fragile, wispy and haunting orchestral folk without sounding tweely sadcore.

[32] Uncut also praised Karen's vocals, saying that her voice was "at the fluttering heart of this album; her phrasing and tonal glides are as distinctive as those of Victoria Williams or Iris DeMent.

[34] Similarly, the record topped the list on a Loud and Quiet feature called "July was a bit of a wasteland for new album releases – except for these 7 that we're rating".